Nathan wondered about Louey's remark. How had the rumor of Firebird's death been started? What was its significance? As they picked up their glasses the babble slowly resumed, but Nathan knew they were still the center of attention. Heavy smoke clouds rolled against the lights like miniature thunderheads. Through it Nathan watched the pale faces of the women who seldom saw daylight, and the bronze leathered faces of the spacemen. He could see them wondering who he was and if he were with Firebird, for he had not spoken to her since they had come in. Firebird made it clear. She turned abruptly and faced the room. "Folks, I want you to meet Nathan Ormondy. You all knew his father. Thymar was killed on Venus and Nathan has come to take his place on the spaceways. Come up and have a drink to the new spaceman, who is as good a man as his father ever was." The music died. The room seemed to freeze. * * * * * Nathan stared at Firebird. She was smiling as if at some secret joke. The little fool, Nathan thought. She knew this would happen. Even his limited knowledge of their codes told him that much. A big bronze spaceman at the nearest table looked up from his cards. "We don't let women buy our drinks," he said. He turned back to the cards. Nathan swore under his breath. What was Firebird trying to do? But it was his move now. The big spaceman picked up a card from his hand and moved to throw it on the table. The card vanished in midair and flakes of ash fell to the table. He glanced up at Nathan's flame lance carelessly resting against his hip. "Perhaps you would accept an invitation from me," said Nathan slowly. The spaceman eyed him narrowly. "We don't let women buy our drinks," he said. His eyes didn't shift, and Nathan's seemed to flicker only for an instant. But it was long enough for the cards in the spaceman's hand to puff into flame. He dropped them frantically. His face lighted with rage and he half rose from his chair, but he said nothing. Nathan's lance hung in the same position. "I think it would be a good idea for you and me to be friends," said Nathan. "Yeah," said the spaceman, "it could be a good idea at that." He rose and stepped slowly to the bar. "Straight Scotch for mine," he told Louey. He turned to the rest of the crowd. "Come on up, folks. My friend here is buying us drinks." The hubbub resumed slowly as the crowd followed his leadership to the bar. The spaceman edged close to Nathan. "Name's Tompkins," he said. "Kind of taking after your old man, I see. Hanging around with the Firebird, I mean. I knew Thymar pretty well when he was trailing her skirts. Kind of always figured that he did the trigger work and she got the reputation." His loud drawl drew the other spacemen in a ring that was growing tighter about Nathan. It was an old move. "Please don't crowd," said Nathan. "There isn't room at the bar for everybody, but there is plenty of drink." The men glanced at Tompkins.